Queen Elizabeth II is one of the most famous and respected monarchs in the world. She has reigned for 70 years, making her the longest-serving British sovereign in history. But did you know that she also has a surprising connection to one of the most controversial figures of the Tudor era, Mary Boleyn?
Mary Boleyn was the sister of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII and the mother of Queen Elizabeth I. Mary was also a mistress of Henry VIII before her sister became his queen. She had two children, Catherine and Henry Carey, who may have been fathered by the king.
The Boleyn Legacy
Mary Boleyn’s life was overshadowed by her sister’s rise and fall. Anne Boleyn was executed in 1536 on charges of adultery, incest, and treason. Her daughter, Elizabeth I, became one of the greatest monarchs in history, but she never acknowledged her Boleyn relatives.
Mary Boleyn married twice, first to William Carey, a courtier of Henry VIII, and then to William Stafford, a soldier of lower rank. She died in 1543, leaving behind her two children and a tarnished reputation.
However, Mary Boleyn’s descendants would go on to play important roles in British history and politics. Her daughter, Catherine Carey, married Sir Francis Knollys, a prominent Protestant leader and courtier of Elizabeth I. They had 14 children, many of whom served in high positions under Elizabeth I and her successors.
The Royal Descent
One of Catherine Carey’s daughters, Lettice Knollys, married Walter Devereux, the 1st Earl of Essex. Their son, Robert Devereux, the 2nd Earl of Essex, was a favorite of Elizabeth I and a rebel leader who was executed for treason in 1601.
Robert Devereux’s daughter, Frances Devereux, married William Seymour, the Duke of Somerset. They were both descendants of Henry VIII’s sister Mary Tudor, making them cousins of King James I.
Frances Devereux and William Seymour had a daughter named Jane Seymour (not to be confused with Henry VIII’s third wife). Jane Seymour married Charles Boyle, the 3rd Viscount Dungarvan. Their son, Richard Boyle, the 3rd Earl of Burlington, was a famous architect and patron of the arts.
Richard Boyle’s daughter, Charlotte Elizabeth Boyle, married William Cavendish, the 4th Duke of Devonshire. He was a prominent Whig politician and Prime Minister of Great Britain.
William Cavendish and Charlotte Elizabeth Boyle had a daughter named Dorothy Cavendish. She married William Cavendish-Bentinck, the 3rd Duke of Portland. He was also a Prime Minister of Great Britain.
Their son, Lord Charles Bentinck, married Anne Wellesley (Lady Abdy), the niece of Arthur Wellesley (the Duke of Wellington), who defeated Napoleon at Waterloo.
Lord Charles Bentinck’s son, Reverend Charles Cavendish-Bentinck, married Carolina Louis Burnaby. Their daughter was Cecilia Nina Cavendish-Bentinck.
Cecilia Nina Cavendish-Bentinck married Claude Bowes-Lyon, the 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne. They were the parents of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (the Queen Mother), who married King George VI.
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth were the parents of Queen Elizabeth II (the current monarch) and Princess Margaret.
Queen Elizabeth II married Prince Philip (the Duke of Edinburgh), who was also a descendant of Mary Tudor (Henry VIII’s sister) through his mother Princess Alice of Battenberg.
The Surprising Royal Connection
So how is Queen Elizabeth II related to Mary Boleyn? She is her 13th great-granddaughter through her mother’s side. She is also related to Mary Boleyn through her father’s side as a distant cousin.
This means that Queen Elizabeth II is not only descended from Henry VIII’s sister Mary Tudor but also from his mistress Mary Boleyn. She is also related to Anne Boleyn as a distant cousin through Henry VIII’s grandmother Margaret Beaufort.
This surprising royal connection shows how history can be full of twists and turns. It also shows how Mary Boleyn’s legacy lives on through her descendants who have shaped British history and culture for centuries.
According to ThoughtCo, Queen Elizabeth II is not the only royal who is descended from Mary Boleyn. Her sons Princes Charles (the Prince of Wales), William (the Duke of Cambridge), and Harry (the Duke of Sussex) are also related to Mary Boleyn through their mother’s Spencer family ancestry.
Mary Boleyn may have been forgotten by history, but her bloodline runs through some of the most influential and powerful people in the world. She may have been the Boleyn survivor, but she was also the Boleyn matriarch..
